#PBA2015 Roster Review: The Alaska Aces

With the 2014-2015 PBA season only a few days away and the official rosters released, I found it only logical to look at each
line-up and see where each team stands. In this series of posts, I’ll be
breaking down each team’s bigs, wings, and floor generals while also looking at
what kind of damage they’ll do this season.

- Despite the advanced ages of Sonny Thoss,
Eric Menk, and Paolo Bugia, this should still be a pretty solid pro frontline.
Gabby Espinas is coming off maybe his best season, while Vic Manuel holds a lot
of promise. Samigue Eman, meanwhile, is the behemoth who could have been the
first June Mar Fajardo. Instead, he’s just another big with unmet potential.

Sonny Thoss is still one of the best bigs in the country.
(image by Paul Ryan Tan/Sports 5)

- Thoss usually does his best in the Philippine
Cup, and I don’t think things are going to change much. He’s still maybe the
best back-to-the-basket player in the league, and he should be able to continue
teaching Manuel some nifty low-block moves. Menk won’t wow anyone with his age,
but his experience should make him a serviceable back-up, while Espinas should
remain a double-double threat on a nightly basis.

- This group is a good mix of young athletes
(Abueva & dela Rosa) and solid veterans (Baguio, Hontiveros, and dela
Cruz). Abueva’s numbers dipped a bit last season after a stellar rookie
campaign (He was in the conversation
to be 2013 MVP, remember?), but he will always be this team’s motor. Any of
the three vets here can pop the cap on any given night, but all three can also
show their age at the exact same time. Coach Alex Compton will be hella lucky
if he can get consistent offense from dela Rosa, so, again, the onus will be on
Abueva to guard the other team’s best winger and then carry this team on the
other end. Translation? He’ll probably shoot too much and make too few (shot 33% from the
field last season).

Can Calvin Abueva regain his beastly form this season?
(image by Pranz Kaeno Billones/Sports 5)

FLOOR
GENERALS: Chris Banchero, Ping Exciminiano, RJ Jazul, JV Casio

- Money. That’s what this backcourt is. Coach
Compton has an awesome threesome in Banchero, Casio, and Jazul. Banchero will
probably be this team’s main playmaker, while Casio and Jazul can alternate as
small-ball shooting guards (yes, they’ll moonlight as PGs, too). Exciminiano,
meanwhile, will be a situation player – he’ll play mainly to defend the other
team’s best guard and/or if the team needs a shot of adrenaline.

- Expect Banchero to turn a lot of heads with
his scoring, rebounding, and playmaking. He should create, attract the defense,
and open up the perimeter for Jazul, Casio, and Hontiveros. That is, unless
Abueva doesn’t follow the gameplan, puts his head down, and just makes a
beeline to the hole wily-nilly. I think Compton can make things work, though,
and, well, I’d really like to see Banchero challenge Stanley Pringle in the
2015 ROY race.

Chris Banchero should be a vital cog for Alaska.
(image from the ABL)

Final
Word:Middle

- One possible starting unit for the Aces is
this: Thoss, Espinas, Abueva, Casio, and Banchero. That’s a pretty strong five
that can contend with the best of ‘em, but the painful fact here is that there’s
nobody on this team (not even in that starting five) that can really say, “I’ll
carry this team through boatloads of crap.” Thoss is a star, but he was never really
a “main guy,” while the jury is still out on whether Abueva can live up to his
moniker on a consistent basis. Espinas, Casio, Jazul, and Manuel are currently
solid support guys, while Banchero is still gonna go through some growing
pains. Alaska will have its moments, but unless someone has a “You didn’t see
this coming, didn’t you?” kind of season, then the Aces are destined for
nowhere but the middle.